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Nicotinamide mononucleotide adenylyltransferase of Trypanosoma cruzi (TcNMNAT): a cytosol protein target for serine kinases
Sánchez-Lancheros, Diana Milena; Ospina-Giraldo, Luis Fernando & Ramírez-Hernández, María Helena
Abstract
Nicotinamide/nicotinate adenine dinucleotide (NAD+/NaAD) performs essential functions in cell metabolism
and energy production due to its redox properties. The nicotinamide/nicotinate mononucleotide adenylyltransferase
(NMNAT, EC 2.7.7.1/18) enzyme catalyses the key step in the biosynthesis of NAD+. Previously, the enzyme NMNAT
was identified in Trypanosoma cruzi (TcNMNAT), a pathogenic agent with epidemiological importance in Latin
America. To continue with the functional characterisation of this enzyme, its subcellular location and its possible
post-translational modifications were examined in this study. For this, polyclonal antibodies were generated in
mice, with soluble and denatured recombinant protein being used to detect the parasite’s NMNAT. Immunodetection
assays were performed on whole extracts of T. cruzi, and an approximation of its intracellular location was determined
using confocal microscopy on wild and transgenic parasites, which revealed the cytosol distribution patterns.
This localisation occurs according to the needs of the dinucleotides that exist in this compartment. Additionally,
a bioinformatics study was performed as a first approach to establish the post-translational modifications of the
enzyme. Possible phosphorylation events were experimentally analysed by western blot, highlighting TcNMNAT as
a potential target for serine kinases.
Keywords
Trypanosoma cruzi; NAD+ biosynthesis; NMNAT; polyclonal antibodies; subcellular location; post-transcriptional modifications
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